International News

(Telecompaper) Cisco Systems has filed an appeal at the European Commission against Microsoft's takeover of Skype. While the deal has already closed, Cisco said it's concerned about a lack of standards and interoperability among videoconferencing platforms. Cisco warned that Microsoft's plan to integrate Skype with its Lync Enterprise Communications Platform could lock-in businesses who want to reach Skype's 700 million account holders to a Microsoft-only platform. Users would then only be able to communicate with others on the Microsoft/Skype platform, and not those using other video systems from makers likes Cisco. Cisco said it wanted regulatory authorities to support open industry standards, helping to avoid a situation where any one company could determine the future of video communications. Marthin de Beer, senior VP for Cisco's video and collaboration group, announced the appeal in a blog posting and said the company also asked the EU's General Court to impose conditions on the Microsoft/Skype deal. Italian VoIP provider Messagenet has joined its appeal to the EC.